The Samajwadi Party on Friday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement a 27-per cent reservation for OBC students in admission and employment sectors. In a letter to Patnaik, party State unit president Rabi Behera said, “The Rajasthan Government yesterday has taken a decision to bring a separate Bill in its State Assembly for providing five per cent reservation to the Gujjar community in State Government jobs.
They have also decided to include this in the IXth Schedule of our Constitution as the total reservation in Rajasthan will be 54 per cent. The same is true in case of Odisha. The Odisha Reservation of Vacancies (SEBC) Act-2008 is lying with Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment since 2010 for its inclusion in IXth Schedule of our Constitution.
But Odisha Government these last five years has never taken up the matter with the Central Government. Behera said, “This is an appropriate time for the State Government to take up the matter with the Centre for which 27 per cent reservation in employment sector can be implemented as your Government is very soon going to fulfil 40,000 vacancies soon.”
He also urged the Chief Minister to ensure inclusion of the Odisha Reservation of Vacancies (SEBC) Act-2008 in the IXth Schedule of the Constitution and to direct the Higher Education Department/Technical Education Department/Welfare Department to take measures for implementing a 27% reservation in admission and jobs as the beginning of the current academic session is only a matter of three days away.